SEVERAL well-intentioned replies to the A48 bridge crash have come from armchair commentators who do not have any contact with the road haulage business.

Letters from Nigel Wright – as he admits – are based on nothing more than looking out of the window of his car, so hardly an expert.

However,  comments from Alan Grant  are made on the basis of someone who regularly picks up the pieces of HGV incidents around the Forest, so more respect can be attached to them.

As a part-time forklift driver, I tip (unload) lorries on a regular basis, and see the change that the EU  laws are making to this industry.

Gone are the older, time-served ‘knights of the road’ as they did not want to fork out up to £1,000 to go back to school on  the totally unnecessary EU CPC (certificate of professional competence) course.

These guys knew the roads, the bridges, etc and could turn  their wagons on a sixpence.

However instead of training up the younger generation of our kids and grandkids in their place, due to EU rules the operators are able to  import eastern Europeans who drive UK registered lorries.

You do not know the difference – until they try to  manoeuvre their wagon and then you can see the lack of proper training.

I tipped (unloaded) one the other day, who had just travelled to Estonia to take his test as ‘it was easier than the British – just up the road, back and leave 50 euros on the  man’s seat; (his words exactly).

No doubt I will get replies that accuse me of racism but may I suggest to those: go and get a job in the industry,  you will  see the problem first hand.

– Dan Winter, Blakeney.